Six Flags Magic Mountain to reclaim roller coaster title

Cedar Point

Wildcat at Cedar Point

Wildcat at Cedar Point (Cedar Point)

Brady MacDonaldLos Angeles Times

Six Flags Magic Mountain will reclaim sole ownership of the Roller Coaster Capital of the World title with the announcement that arch-rival Cedar Point will remove one of its 17 coasters before the start of the summer season.

Citing declining ridership and increased maintenance costs, Ohio's Cedar Point said it will remove and demolish the 1979 Wildcat coaster to make room for the upcoming $6-million Luminosity nighttime spectacular, which is set to debut on June 8.

"Cedar Point remains committed to being the roller coaster capital of the world," the park said in a statement. "New roller coasters, rides and attractions will always be a part of Cedar Point's future."

Magic Mountain officials responded with a statement of their own: "Six Flags Magic Mountain is proud to be the Thrill Capital of the World with more coasters than any theme park on the planet."

In 2011, Magic Mountain added Green Lantern: First Flight, a first-of-its-kind-in-the-U.S. vertical coaster, along with Road Runner Express, a kiddie coaster relocated from a shuttered Six Flags park in New Orleans. The removal of the boomerang-style Deja Vu coaster later that year brought Magic Mountain into a statistical tie with Cedar Point with 17 coasters apiece.

In 2013, Magic Mountain is expected to add the terrain-hugging, multi-launch Full Throttle roller coaster, raising the Valencia amusement park's total to a record-setting 18 coasters. The removal of Wildcat will drop Cedar Point's coaster count to 16.

Cedar Point has not added a new roller coaster since 2007, when the Sandusky theme park unveiled the $21-million multi-launch Maverick built by Intamin.

Cedar Point's 40-minute Luminosity nighttime spectacular is to feature lights, lasers and fireworks tied to a stage performance with DJs, dancers and drummers.